1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to plastic foam packaging and, more particularly, plastic foam processor trays for packaging perishable foods, fragile objects, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various plastic foam tray designs are known in the prior art. In preparing a processor tray design, inner surface area, capacity, sidewall rigidity, and weight are key considerations. A well-received prior art processor tray design which provides for these considerations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,018,623 to Hrenyo, owned by the assignee hereof, which includes outwardly bowed sidewalls having a bead integrally formed thereon; the Hrenyo tray is formed such that upon application of plastic film wrap to the tray, the wrapped tray is formed with straight sidewalls.
Although the processor tray of U.S. Pat. No.5,018,623 has met considerable commercial success, improvements in maintaining the surrounding plastic film overwrap in a tight seal with the tray are always desired. A shortcoming of the prior art lies in the inadequacy of the prior art to maintain surrounding plastic film, which is either stretch-wrapped or shrink-wrapped about the tray and packaged goods, in a taut state. Specifically, once a wrapped tray is packaged and wrapped and is case ready, it is placed into a master container for shipment. In the master container, the packaged and wrapped processor trays are stacked upon one another and the weight of the packaged processor trays causes the plastic film of underlying trays to be stretched and loosened during shipment. Consequently, the packaged trays leak juices, blood, etc. from the products packaged therein. Moreover, several prior art trays are insufficiently rigid to maintain their respective desired shapes when continuously subjected to the pressure of wrapped plastic film. Such tray designs eventually warp with the plastic film becoming loosened, or the trays fail in extreme cases.
It is an object of the subject invention to provide a processor tray which can maintain plastic film wrapped thereabout in a taut state.
It is also an object of the subject invention to provide a processor tray having substantial sidewall rigidity provided by an outwardly and downwardly extending flange which is formed with varying widths.
It is further an object of the subject invention to provide a processor tray with a base having a raised rectangular portion centrally located to extend through the bottom of the base.